View source for German destroyer Z33

{{Short description|Destroyer}}
{{About|the Nazi German destroyer|the sports car also known as the "Z33"|Nissan 350Z}}
{{good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:Captured German destroyer Z39 underway off Boston on 22 August 1945.jpg
|Ship caption=[[Sister ship]] {{ship|German destroyer|Z39||2}} underway after the war
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              =
|Ship country=[[Nazi Germany]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Nazi Germany|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Z33''
|Ship ordered=19 September 1939
|Ship builder=[[AG Weser]] ([[Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG|Deschimag]]), [[Bremen]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=W1003
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=22 December 1940 
|Ship launched=15 September 1941 
| Ship commissioned        = 6 February 1943
| Ship decommissioned      = Late April 1945
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = early April 1945
| Ship captured            = 9 May 1945
| Ship fate                =Transferred to the [[Soviet Union]], 2 January 1946
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              =title
| Ship country             = Soviet Union
| Ship flag                = {{shipboxflag|Soviet Union|naval-1935}}
| Ship name                = ''Provornyy'' (Проворный)
| Ship namesake            = Russian word for "nimble"
| Ship acquired            = 2 January 1946
| Ship commissioned        = 1946
| Ship decommissioned      = 22 April 1955
| Ship reclassified        = *As a [[training ship]], 30 November 1954
*As an [[Accommodation ship]], 22 April 1955
| Ship out of service      = 
| Ship fate                = [[ship breaking|Scrapped]], 1962
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class=[[Type 1936A-class destroyer#1936A (Mob)|Type 1936A (Mob)]] [[destroyer]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|2657|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
*{{convert|3691|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length={{convert|127|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[o/a]])
|Ship beam= {{convert|12|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft= {{convert|4.62|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 × shafts
*2 × geared [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed= {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{convert|2950|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|19|kn}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|70000|PS|kW shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}
*6 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
|Ship complement=316–336
|Ship armament=*1 × twin, 3 × single [[15 cm TbtsK C/36 naval gun|{{convert|15|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} guns]]
*2 × twin [[3.7 cm Flak M42|{{convert|3.7|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}]] [[AA gun]]s
*2 × quadruple and 2 × single [[2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling|{{convert|2|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
*2 × quadruple {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s
*60 [[naval mine|mines]] 
*4 × [[depth charge]] launchers
}}
|}
'''''Z33''''' was a [[Type 1936A-class destroyer#1936A (Mob)|Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer]] built for the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' (German Navy) during [[World War II]]. Completed in 1943, the ship was damaged during the [[Operation Zitronella|raid]] on the island of [[Spitsbergen]] in September and spent all of 1944 in [[Norway|Norwegian]] waters. She was damaged by British aircraft attacking the [[battleship]] {{Ship|German battleship|Tirpitz||2}} in July. ''Z33'' escorted troop [[convoy]]s from northern Norway when the Germans began evacuating the area beginning in October. She [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] in early 1945 as she was sailing for the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] and was badly damaged. While the ship was being towed to port for repairs, she and her escorts were [[Black Friday (1945)|attacked by Allied]] [[fighter-bomber]]s. ''Z33'' finally reached the Baltic in early April, but was reduced to [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] for lack of fuel. The ship was transferred to [[Cuxhaven]] and [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] shortly before the end of the war.

''Z33'' was allocated to the [[Soviet Union]] in late 1945 and turned over at the beginning of 1946. Renamed ''Provornyy'', the ship subsequently served with the [[Soviet Navy]]. She became a [[training ship]] in 1954 before she was converted to an [[accommodation ship]] the following year. ''Provornyy'' was badly damaged by a fire in 1960 and was [[ship breaking|scrapped]] in 1962.

==Design and description==
The Type 1936A (Mob) destroyers were slightly larger than the preceding Type 1936A [[ship class|class]] and had a heavier armament. The class had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|127|m|ftin|sp=us}} and were {{convert|121.9|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[Length at the waterline|long at the waterline]]. The ships had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|12|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a maximum [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|4.62|m|ftin|sp=us}}. They displaced {{convert|2657|LT|t|0|lk=on}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard load]] and {{convert|3691|LT|t|0}} at [[deep load]]. The two Wagner geared [[steam turbine]] sets, each driving one [[propeller shaft]], were designed to produce {{convert|70000|PS|kW shp|lk=on}} using steam provided by six Wagner [[water-tube boiler]]s. The ships had a design speed of {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}, and their maximum speed was {{convert|36.1|kn}}.<ref>Gröner (1990), p. 204</ref> The Type 1936A (Mob) destroyers carried enough [[fuel oil]] to give a range of {{convert|2239|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|19|kn}}. The crew of the ships numbered 11–15 officers and 305–21 enlisted men, plus an additional 4 officers and 19 enlisted men if serving as a [[flotilla]] flagship.<ref>Koop & Schmolke (2014), p. 27</ref>

The Type 1936A (Mob) ships were armed with five [[15 cm TbtsK C/36 naval gun|{{convert|15|cm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} TbtsK C/36 guns]] in a twin-[[gun turret]] forward and three single mounts with [[gun shield]]s aft of the main [[superstructure]]. Their [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] armament varied and ''Z33''{{'}}s consisted of four [[3.7 cm Flak M42|{{convert|3.7|cm|adj=on|sp=us}} Flak M42]] guns in a pair of twin mounts abreast the rear [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] and ten [[2 cm FlaK 30/38/Flakvierling|{{convert|2|cm|adj=on|sp=us}} C/38]] guns in two quadruple and two single mounts. The ships carried eight {{convert|53.3|cm|in|adj=on|sp=us|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s in two power-operated mounts. A pair of reload torpedoes was provided for each mount. They had four [[depth charge]] launchers and mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of 60 [[naval mine|mines]]. A system of passive [[hydrophone]]s designated as 'GHG' (''[[Gruppenhorchgerät]]'') was fitted to detect [[submarine]]s. A ''S-Gerät'' [[sonar]] was also probably fitted.<ref>Whitley (1991), pp. 68, 71–72, 201</ref><ref>Gröner (1990), pp. 203, 206</ref><ref>Sieche (1980), p. 234</ref> The ship was equipped with a ''FuMO'' 24/25 [[radar]] set above the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]] as well as ''FuMB 3 Bali'', ''FuMB 6 Palau'', ''FuMB 26 Tunis'', and ''FuMB 31'' [[radar detector]]s.<ref>Koop & Schmolke (2014), p. 40</ref>

===Modifications===
A ''FuMB 4 Sumatra'' radar detector was added after completion and a ''[[FuG 200 Hohentwiel|FuMO 63 Hohentwiel]]'' radar was installed in 1944–1945 in lieu of the aft [[searchlight]]. In early April 1945, one 15&nbsp;cm gun was transferred to her sister {{ship|German destroyer|Z34||2}} to replace a damaged weapon. About that same time her anti-aircraft guns were removed. When the destroyer was ordered to the [[German Bight]] later that month, they were replaced by weapons taken from the wreck of the [[heavy cruiser]] ''[[German cruiser Deutschland|Lützow]]''. By the end of the war, ''Z33''{{'}}s anti-aircraft suite consisted of ten 3.7&nbsp;cm gun in five twin mounts and a dozen 2&nbsp;cm guns in one quadruple, two twin and four single mounts.<ref>Koop & Schmolke (2014), pp. 35, 40</ref>

==Service history==
''Z33'' was first ordered from [[Seebeckwerft]] ([[yard number]] 665) as a [[German World War II destroyers#Zerst.C3.B6rer 1938B|Type 1938B destroyer]] on 28 June 1939, but the ''Kriegsmarine'' cancelled the order in September 1939, re-ordering the ship from [[AG Weser]] ([[Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG|Deschimag]]) (yard number W1003) as a Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer on 19 September 1939. The ship was [[laid down]] at Deschimag's [[Bremen]] shipyard on 22 December 1940 and [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 15 September 1941. Construction was slowed by shortage of manpower and materials and ''Z33'' was not [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] until 6 February 1943.<ref>Koop & Schmolke (2014), pp. 24–25; Whitley (1991), p. 34</ref>

The ship sailed to Norway shortly after she finished [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#W|working up]] on 22 July. She took part in [[Operation Zitronella]], the German raid on the island of Spitsbergen in September where she was hit by [[coastal artillery]] 33 times, killing 3 crewmen and wounding 25.<ref name="Koop_114">Koop & Schmolke (2014), p. 114</ref> ''Z33'' was one of the escorts for the battleship {{Ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}} during [[Operation Ostfront]] on 25 December, an attempt to intercept the British [[Convoy JW 55B]] that was bound for the [[Soviet Union]]. All of the battleship's escorts were detached the following day to increase the likelihood of intercepting the convoy and did not participate in the ensuing [[Battle of North Cape]].<ref>Whitley (1991), p. 172</ref> She remained in Norwegian waters through 1944. On 17 July 1944 ''Z33'' was [[Strafing|strafed]] by [[Vought F4U Corsair]] fighters of the [[Royal Navy]]'s [[Fleet Air Arm]] during [[Operation Mascot]], an attack on the battleship [[German battleship Tirpitz|''Tirpitz'']], but only suffered superficial damage.<ref>Brown (2009), p. 28</ref> Beginning in October, the ship escorted convoys during [[Operation Nordlicht (1944–45)|Operation Nordlicht]], the evacuation of northern Norway. On 27 December ''Z33'' laid a [[minefield]] off [[Honningsvaag]] together with her sister {{ship|German destroyer|Z31||2}}. The two ships laid another minefield off [[Hammerfest]] on 3 January 1945.<ref name="Koop_114"/><ref>Rohwer (2005), pp. 378, 384</ref>

[[File:German destroyer Z33 in Forde Fjord 9 Feb 1945.jpg|thumb|alt=Two ships close to the shore of a body of water near steep snow-covered hills. Much of the body of water is covered by sheets of ice.|''Z33'' under attack by Allied aircraft on 9 February 1945]]
''Z33'' departed for Germany on 5 February, but ran aground in [[Brufjord]] two days later. The impact severely damaged her port propeller shaft and its [[propeller]], knocked out both turbines, and caused flooding.<ref name="Koop_114"/> While under tow to [[Trondheim]] she was attacked by [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[Bristol Beaufighter]] [[fighter-bomber]]s two days later while anchored in [[Førde Fjord]]. The destroyer was further damaged during the attack, but she and her escorts shot down seven Beaufighters, which later became known by the [[squadron (aviation)|squadrons]] involved as the [[Black Friday (1945)|"Black Friday"]] airstrike for the heavy casualties that they suffered.<ref>Conyers Nesbit (1995), pp. 228–230; Goulter (1995), p. 254</ref> Once repairs were completed she sailed for [[Swinemünde]] on 26 March and arrived there on 2 April. Due to Germany's shortage of fuel the ship was [[laid up]] and saw no further combat. All of her anti-aircraft guns were removed shortly after her arrival. Before ''Z33'' departed Swinemünde on 27 April to be decommissioned at [[Cuxhaven]], her anti-aircraft weapons were replaced by guns taken from the wreck of ''Lützow''.<ref>Koop & Schmolke (2014), pp. 35, 114</ref>

After the war ''Z33'' sailed to [[Wilhelmshaven]] and was [[wikt:overhaul|overhauled]] to keep her [[seaworthy]] while the Allies decided how to divide the surviving ships of the ''Kriegsmarine'' amongst themselves as [[war reparations]]. The ship was allotted to the Soviet Union in late 1945 and turned over on 2 January 1946 before departing for [[Liepāja]], [[Latvia]].<ref>Whitley (1991), pp. 191–92</ref> She was renamed ''Provornyy'' (Проворный, “Nimble”) and assigned to the [[Baltic Fleet|Red Banner Baltic Fleet]]. She briefly became a training ship on 30 November 1954 before  was reclassified as an accommodation ship on 22 April 1955. During 1960, ''Provornyy'' was badly damaged by a fire and sank at her [[mooring (watercraft)|moorings]]. She was [[Marine salvage|refloated]] two years later and then scrapped.<ref name=Koop_114 />

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Brown|first=David|title=Carrier Operations in World War II|year=2009 |publisher= Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-108-2|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Conyers Nesbit|first=Roy|title=The Strike Wings: Special Anti-Shipping Squadrons 1942–1945|year=1995|publisher=HMSO|isbn=0-11-772687-7|location=London|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Goulter|first=Christina J. M.|title=A Forgotten Offensive: Royal Air Force Coastal Command's Anti-shipping Campaign, 1940–1945|year=1995|publisher=Frank Cass|location=London |isbn=978-0-7146-4147-8|ref=none}}
*{{Cite book |last=Gröner|first=Erich|title=German Warships 1815&ndash;1945|year=1990|ref=none |location=Annapolis, Maryland|volume=1: Major Surface Warships|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-87021-790-9|author-link=Erich Gröner}}
*{{cite book |last1=Koop |first1=Gerhard|last2=Schmolke |first2=Klaus-Peter|title=German Destroyers of World War II |year=2014 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-84832-193-9|name-list-style=amp|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005 |edition=Third Revised |isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer|ref=none}}
*{{cite book|author1-last=Sieche|author1-first=Erwin|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|year=1980|publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-85177-146-7|name-list-style=amp|chapter=Germany|pages=218–254}}
*{{cite book |last=Whitley|first=M. J. |title=German Destroyers of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1991 |isbn=978-1-55750-302-2|author-link=Michael J. Whitley|ref=none}}

{{Type 1936 destroyers}}
{{1960 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Z33}}
[[Category:Type 1936A-class destroyers]]
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:Destroyers of the Soviet Navy]]
[[Category:Ship fires]]